This invention relates to a refrigerated display case having air guide vanes to direct air within the display case.
Typically, a refrigerated display case includes a cold air discharge at one end of the case that blows cold air from the back of the case to the front of the case and over products contained therein. In addition, there is a diffuser at the top of the display case near the front that discharges cold air across the front opening of the display case. The diffuser includes a plurality of guide structures, known as straws, disposed to direct the flow of air perpendicular down the front opening of the display case. Cold air then flows to a warm air return at the bottom of the case, flowing back through a cooling circuit and out again through the cold air discharge. Typically, the display case is of a standard rectangular shape and the cold air discharge and the warm air return at opposite ends of the viewing area are of substantially the same length.
Some display cases are shaped to provide a pleasing appearance and to separate different product types by being positioned around comers. Historically, an outside comer display case was not refrigerated and used only to provide the appearance of a continuous refrigerated display case. Because the outside display case was not refrigerated, only products not requiring refrigeration were displayed in the outside comer unit.
It would be desirable to provide the option of refrigerated outside comer units, which presents a design challenge. The geometry of an outside comer display case limits the length of the cold air discharge such that the cold air discharge is substantially shorter in length than the warm air return. That is, a comer unit has an inner back that tends to be smaller than its outer front. The cold air discharge associated with the smaller end thus directs flow only over a limited portion of the case. This creates uneven cooling of the products displayed over the display area. The known diffuser tended to direct the flow of cold air straight through the center of the display area, leaving the extreme outer edges of the display area inadequately cooled.
A need therefore exists to distribute cool air across all areas of the display space.
The invention comprises a refrigeration system having at least one vane extending to distribute air uniformally across the entire display case space. The refrigeration system comprises a display case having a display space, a refrigeration coil for cooling the display space, a fan for directing air into the display space, a vertical channel to move air across the height of the display space, an orifice to direct air along a first horizontal path, and at least one vane extending across the display space to redirect air along the second horizontal path with the second horizontal path being in a direction towards the outer edges of the cases. The invention accordingly permits the uniform distribution of air across the entire display space, permitting cooling air to be directed to areas not adequately covered previously.
The vane may be a planer rectangular and upper structural parts, member extending across the display space. The vane may be connected to the shelf and may extend perpendicularly from the shelf and the structural parts. Preferably, multiple vanes may be connected to each shelf or parts to distribute uniformally air across the entire display space.
The refrigeration system may have an upper horizontal channel and may be shaped like a wedge to fit in a corner. The refrigeration system may have an outlet at its top distributing air downward into a warm air return, thereby creating an air curtain across an open display area. A vane may also be provided in the upper horizontal channel to redirect the flow of air across the upper horizontal channel.
In this manner, the refrigeration system distributes air across a display space along a first horizontal path. Based upon a determination of the desired distribution across the display case, air is redirected along a second horizontal path by vanes. The second horizontal path is more in a direction towards outer edges of the display case. The redirection of air occurs across the display space to redistribute air to all regions of the space.